The government of Bahrain has acquired the Boeing 767-400ER that was to be used as the testbed for the airframer's E-10 multi-mission command and control platform. Boeing built the 767-400ER as a testbed for systems integration on the E-10, but was forced to cancel the programme in 2007 because of funding constraints.

The 767-400ER, pictured at nearby Boeing Field international airport, has since been re-registered A9C-HMH and will replace Bahrain's VIP Boeing 747SP in service

American completes first 767 revenue flight with blended winglets By Lori RansonAmerican Airlines today completed the first flight of a Boeing 767-300ER with blended winglets supplied by Aviation Partners Boeing.

Flight 78 left Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on 8 March at 8:35 p.m. with 204 passengers onboard, landing ahead of schedule on 9 March at London Heathrow.

American is the launch customer for the 11ft tall blended winglets on the 767-300ER, and APB partner GKN during the 2008 Farnborough air show said it plans to build 450 winglet shipsets for the 767-300ER, forecasting a build rate of 16 per month during peak production.

American says APB estimates each winglet-equipped aircraft should save up to 500,000 gallons of fuel annually depending on miles flown, which could result in a total savings of 29 million gallons annually.

American Airlines

Other attributes of the winglets highlighted by American include a 277,000 metric ton reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and an increase in aircraft range of 360nm. The improved take-off performance of the aircraft could generate up to 12,000lbs of additional payload.

The carrier's in-house maintenance team completed installation of the winglets, and expects to modify all of American's 58 767-300ERs by 2011. Winglet installations are already complete on the airline's 124 757s and 77 737s.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 767airplanes. This AD requires installing an automatic shutoff system for the auxiliary fuel tank override/jettison fuel pumps (also referred to as center tank fuel pumps in the airplane flight manual (AFM)), revising the AFM to advise the flightcrew of certain operating restrictions for airplanesequipped with an automatic auxiliary fuel tank pump shutoff control, and, for certain airplanes, installing a placard to alert the flightcrew of certain fuel usage restrictions. This AD provides optional terminating actions for certain requirements. This AD results from a design review of the fuel tank systems. We are issuing this AD to prevent an overheat condition outside the center tank fuel pump explosion-resistance area that is open to the pump inlet, which could cause an ignition source for the fuel vapors in the fuel tank and result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.

Mise en place d'un dispositif d'arrêt automatique des pompes.

Au chapitre des coûts et des temps de main d'oeuvre

Costs of ComplianceWe estimate that this AD affects 414 airplanes of U.S. registry. The following table provides theestimated costs for U.S. operators to comply with this AD. The fleet cost could be as high as$4,655,016.

(October 13, 2009) -- Air New Zealand's new blended winglets, which are being fitted to its fleet of Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, are delivering 19 per cent higher fuel savings than forecast.

The airline's original expectations were that more than six million litres of fuel would be saved annually with the installation of new performance-enhancing blended winglets on its fleet of five Boeing 767 aircraft.

However, with four aircraft now fitted with the winglets, fuel savings are 19% higher than predicted, with the fleet now expected to reduce fuel usage by more than seven million litres and 18,400 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The blended winglets, which have been developed by Aviation Partners Boeing, are 3.4 metre high wing-tip devices. They make the aircraft's wing more efficient by reducing drag, increasing lift and significantly improving fuel use and reducing emissions.

"The installation of the blended winglets is part of Air New Zealand's on-going drive to be the world's most environmentally sustainable airline," says General Manager Airline Operations Captain David Morgan.

Air New Zealand has been at the forefront of finding ways to minimise its environmental impact, examining every aspect of its flight operations to reduce carbon emissions by saving fuel.

"Our approach is constantly evolving as we continue to evaluate our operations and identify new opportunities and new technologies," says Mr Morgan.

In addition to significant fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions, the blended winglets provide additional commercial benefits for aircraft operating services on longer sectors, including enabling the aircraft to climb faster and improving payload performance.

The final aircraft is now being refitted and will be back in service in early November.

BA pushing for winglets on Rolls-powered 767 fleet By David Kaminski-Morrow

British Airways is trying to nudge Boeing and Rolls-Royce to provide a winglet modification for the flag-carrier's Boeing 767-300ER fleet, although the relatively small size of its fleet could prove an obstacle.

The airline's fleet of 21 aircraft - of which 13 are in long-haul configuration - are fitted with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, in contrast to the Pratt & Whitney and General Electric powerplants fitted to almost all other 767s.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh, speaking to ATI at an event in London, said that the airline was "gently pushing" both the airframer and the engine manufacturer for the upgrade.

While there is a supplemental type certificate for winglets on the P&W- and GE-powered 767, the RB211 engines generate a different wing loading, says Walsh.

He wants Boeing to pay for the development, although he says he "understands" that the manufacturer could be reluctant to fund a programme for a limited number of aircraft.

He says that BA's fleet is relatively young, at about 13-14 years, and the 767s could provide at least another six years' service to the carrier.

Winglets would provide a substantial fuel saving, he says, and create a case for retaining the aircraft in the fleet to give BA additional flexibility even as it introduces its intended 767 replacement, the 787.

"Clearly the sooner it's done, the better," he says. "If this [modification] had been available two years ago, we would have done it then."

Qantas operates seven RB211-powered 767s, but the carrier took the twin-jets from the BA fleet. China Eastern Airlines also has a handful of 767s with Rolls-Royce engines.

Structural cracks discovered recently on at least two American Airlines Boeing 767 jetliners, including one jet that air-safety regulators believe easily could have lost an engine, are prompting concerns that some of the problems may turn out to be more widespread.Over the past two weeks, American, with oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration, has checked the bulk of its wide-body 767 fleet to look for possible cracks in critical components that attach engines to the wings. On Monday, the FAA said problems were found on three planes. The agency said it was working with American and manufacturer Boeing Co. to "identify the source of the cracking" and was considering new industry-wide safety mandates. "We are considering additional action, including requiring more frequent inspections" of the suspect parts, called engine pylons, according to an FAA spokesman. American spokesman Tim Wagner disputed the FAA's tally of affected planes. He said the recent flurry of inspections found two planes with pylon-related cracks and the problems "were caught when they should have been." He also said Monday that with metallurgical tests pending, "any speculation on the cause" of the cracks "isn't based on science or technical findings." Until the laboratory results are available, according to Mr. Wagner, definitive conclusions "would be a guess at best."Boeing, which has been working closely with the FAA to identify reasons for the cracks and assess their significance, didn't have any immediate comment. The size and type of some of the cracks discovered in the pylons surprised Boeing, which now is drafting a service bulletin that in the next few days is likely to recommend substantially stepped-up inspections by virtually all 767 operators, according to people familiar with the details. The FAA, which has authority to mandate the changes, is expected to adopt most of Boeing's guidelines. The issue is attracting high-level attention inside the FAA, Boeing and American partly because for years there have been relatively strict requirements to inspect certain parts of all 767 engine pylons after every 1,500 flights. Despite the frequent inspections, these people say, a routine check of one American jet for a different issue found a combination of cracks that hadn't been seen before and was deemed by FAA officials to pose a significant hazard.This aircraft, which had the most serious safety issues, had flown only about 500 trips since its last required structural inspection for pylons, according to FAA records.Depending on the details, the anticipated FAA mandates could disrupt current maintenance timetables while increasing operating costs across the industry. Some safety experts said more-frequent inspections could conceivably result in minor schedule disruptions at some carriers.Certain parts now under heightened scrutiny can't be easily inspected and may require removing engine pylons from aircraftBoth American and FAA officials agree the safety concerns don't result from missed or botched inspections. Rather, the issues highlight that neither government nor industry experts expected to see the emergence of such structural problems in the wake of earlier risk analyses and ramped-up inspections.American said it expected by early Tuesday to complete checks of the last two of the 56 Boeing 767s subject to the latest inspections. The twin-engine models are used widely by carriers across the globe, including on many trans-Atlantic flights and routes across the U.S. Engine pylons, which attach the engines to the wings, are intended to flex as planes maneuver in the air, encounter turbulence and undergo other dynamic forces. Pylons have to withstand strong and sometimes rapidly changing stresses, including sudden changes in engine thrust and aircraft attitude.In addition to analyzing the impact of structural loads during flight, FAA officials also are examining whether specific maintenance procedures used by American on the ground could have caused or worsened some of the cracking. The FAA's preliminary conclusion is that some of the cracks came from holes used to install certain bolts, an issue that has been recognized since the FAA issued its repetitive inspection rules five years ago.On at least one American aircraft, however, FAA experts believe a number of cracks found on a part of the pylon near those bolts rendered certain fail-safe designs ineffective.The FAA's upcoming safety directive is expected to call for routinely inspecting more portions of the engine pylon than is currently required. The agency and Boeing already have agreed on the broad outlines of such a step, according to people familiar with the details.The FAA's action would directly affect about 360 Boeing 767s operated by U.S. carriers. Foreign regulators typically order their airlines to adhere to enhanced inspection standards developed by the FAA in conjunction with Boeing.At this point, the FAA doesn't appear to favor mandating immediate inspections of 767 jets operated by other U.S. airlines.Separately, American and the FAA are examining another complex, but unrelated structural issue that also has potentially significant safety implications for the airline's Boeing 767 fleet. Engineering experts, according to people familiar with the matter, continue to assess whether large, upwardly curved panels attached to the wingtips of some American 767s have caused or contributed to certain cracks discovered in a section of the structural backbone of a few planes.Called winglets and installed on many types of commercial and business jets, the additions are designed to increase fuel efficiency.

Boeing and FedEx Express are closely examining developing a new build freighter based on the 767-400ER, offering a production bridge to the recently awarded US Air Force KC-46A refuelling tanker.

Company and industry sources confirm the discussions, which are geared toward providing a replacement to the 72 MD-10s currently in the logistics company's fleet.

Boeing declined to offer specific confirmation, saying, "We are always in discussions with our customers about their future requirements. We don't share specifics of those discussions publicly."

FedEx also declined to comment, saying "we do not discuss the nature or content of any private discussions we have with vendors or customers."

The size of a potential launch order is not clear, though on a one-to-one basis, the 58 MD-10-10F and 16 MD-10-30F aircraft in the company's fleet would provide fertile ground to launch such a programme

Additionally, development and production of a 767-400ERF is believed to be intended as a production bridge between the 49 outstanding 767 orders and the start of initial KC-46A tanker production, allowing the existing production system to continue uninterrupted.

Of the 49 outstanding 767 orders, there 24 767-300ERs and 25 767-300Fs.

Boeing plans the first flight of a KC-46A in 2015, followed by achievement of initial operational capability with the USAF with 18 aircraft by 2017. The KC-X tanker contract, awarded to Boeing last week, is worth as much as $35 billion for replacement of the 179 KC-135 tanker aircraft.

The KC-46A, based on the 767, is equipped with winglets and a 787-derived flight deck will be assembled on the company's newly relocated lean 767 final assembly line inside the rear of its Everett, Washington factory.

Boeing Defense Systems CEO Dennis Muilenburg recently said he expects the KC-X award would spur commercial interest in the 767.

The passenger version of the 767-400ER, introduced in 2000, was a slow seller and was supplanted directly in the company's product line with the launch of the 787-8 and -9.

The airframer delivered 37 aircraft intended for commercial use, including 16 to then-Continental Airlines and 21 to Delta Air Lines from 2000 and 2002, with one additional VIP configured aircraft in January 2009.

The performance of a 767-400ERF is currently unclear, though FedEx was previously working closely with Boeing to develop a freighter conversion programme for low-cycle 777-200 and -200ERs.

A launch decision for the 777-200BCF/200ERBCF was expected at the close of 2010, and a delay may indicate the shift in FedEx's preference toward a the potential offering of a 767-400ERF.

FedEx announced 1 March that it may eventually order up to 55 new build 777-200LRF aircraft and already has 12 in its fleet.

En remplacement des MD10-10 et -30

Pour mémoire

DC-10 Series 10: 446,000 lb (202,304 kg) with a payload of 143,500 lb (65,091 kg) for a nonstop range of approximately 2,000 nmi.

DC-10 Series 30: 580,000 lb (263,086 kg) with a payload of 180,000 lb (81,720 kg) for a nonstop range of approximately 3,700 nmi.